Sangeet Natak Akademi awards announced and congratulatory messages
pouring in the social media is now the order of the day. During this
time of the year it has also become essential to critically analyze the
results. No doubt there are many complaints, some justified though. It
has become a practice to ignore one classical dance art form, set more
as an authoritarian assertion about prerogative of the body. There is no
base for this.

This time they did not consider Mohiniattam... "What's wrong with our
dance?" exclaimed a Mohini! Is there logic? Yes, there is the mechanics
of it coming to the fore. Previous year they omitted Odissi, remember??
The new phenomenon though is about self-promoting lobbies this year. The
good thing about the lobbies is that they clearly put the selection
committee to alert and the not so good thing is that their main
objective is their very own benefit. Often you sense this informal and
tacit understanding that they are ok with balance of mutual interests!

There is also a sort of a mechanical manner and approach right from the
nominations to the eventual announcement. A surge in activity is noticed
as some prospective candidates make right noises just before
nominations are called, then getting nominated, celebrate once they
achieve their purpose and then it all dies down. Mission accomplished,
they fade out. To those who used that route... "Dear awardee, you moved
one step in the mechanical escalator and you did not really step up the
ladder."

Are awards about mechanization? Any media that objectively focuses on
the contributions made (not achievements) is what is doing a good job.
So no point in the usual artificial feeling bravos...but let there be
simple exclamation! There seems to be a checklist where the
administration keeps ticking the boxes. Is there some sense of lethargy
too to the whole process? Unlike in other ministries, culture needs
someone who has the heart and mind for the art. Especially in dance, one
needs to look at various developments first hand and not through
applications or nominations alone. They need to be there on the ground
and sense what is happening about who is contributing, how they are
contributing, etc. A critical requirement for understanding the
contributions is to see how many good performers are produced and their
all round knowledge. Else, document filled reputations that are
impersonal in nature and lack of real understanding of the art guide the
committee. Getting feedback from critics, dancers who have integrity
and without conflict of interest goes a long way in ensuring that the
sanctity of awards is maintained.

The bitter part of the story is that the genuine awardees have to
contend with sharing their accomplishments with the artificial and
believe they both are same, they with their life-long contribution. The
lobbyist awardee goes around saying, "I got the award along with great
so and so..."

As far as Kuchipudi is concerned, this year a traditional Kuchipudi
artist was awarded in a classification that is meant for non-classical
category. This is an injustice not only to the artist but to all
Kuchipudi fraternity. That it is categorized as under ‘Theatre' is not
something many are taking as a saving grace.

We should also spare a thought to the plight of genuine bureaucrats who
have to comprehend the complications and complexities of this art being a
performing dynamics of Guru Parampara too. This is not an easy job as
most of them are transferred sooner or later to other departments. The
importance of the people who hold their seats at the middle level are
the real power banks, says a senior dancer.

Let there be a well thought out and predetermined criteria that can
justify the awards. A due diligence and audit by a third party whose
observations can be made available. Let all the awardees come through as
deserving and respected artists.

Bhavanvitha Venkat is a Kuchipudi dancer, writer and finance consultant.

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